I’ve been in the National Capital Region (NCR) for about 24 hours now. As soon as Montreal was behind me yesterday on the 40 west I felt a weight fall from my shoulders. I was looking at three days in a region where I wouldn’t need a GPS, where I know the myriad ways to get from point a to point B, where I would return without hesitation if I ever had to be housebound again.

I’m here on business with my mother and we took my truck, so I drove. We arrived after dark and it was no big deal for me. I knew what was the best exit to take on the 417 at that time of day, exactly where the hotel is, and even the construction around the Lac Leamy casino was a non-issue. In any other city in the dark, after a very long day, and with a GPS squawking in my ear, the sight of construction would have been overwhelming.

Getting to the client this morning was easy and I took us to Toscano’s on Saint-Joseph in Hull for lunch.

A good friend and I had made plans to have dinner tonight, so I headed to her place after work. Being just a couple of blocks from St-Laurent in Vanier, I told her we were going to Lonestars for dinner where I got their fajitas. My last meal in Ottawa four years ago was at the west end Lonestars, so that might give an idea of how much I’ve been craving their fajitas. 🙂

Tomorrow evening, I am heading north to the picturesque village that was the closest bit of civilization from my house. If I have time, I might even go see if the old shack is still standing. But first, I am heading to Place du Portage to have lunch with my former colleagues!

A bit of nostalgia is nice, but there is no going back for me. It’s still nice to be home. 🙂